Catcher Zine: Issue 6

catcher zine issue 6

ARTISTS • benjamin brenner • alex karanov • chloe villareal • isabelle pham • jeannine chang • st. claire mendoza • lilah shapiro • brandon lin • anudari purev-chang • charlotte wong • dora yang • lauren gonzalez

theme: red CLUB MEMBERS • finn lorian • elle mercer • allegra terry • delaney leung • dylan saunders • angelyn liu • claire west • alima kartay

insta: @catcherzine burlingamezine@gmail.com

an essay by isabelle pham Technology is a skill or tool humans use in order to thrive in today’s society. In the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury writes about a dystopian world where literature is outlawed, and firemen, who are responsible for burning books, use advanced technology to locate and destroy any remaining books. With mindless, shallow entertainment, the government is able to control the citizens of this society, effectively distracting people from reality and discouraging them from thinking critically, living meaningful lives, or expressing their individuality.

Throughout the novel, Ray Bradbury warns us about how technology negatively affects mental health, is addictive, and harmful to individuals and society, demonstrating the importance of having purpose in one’s life, critical thinking, and the need to challenge authority.

Technology is unhealthy for mental health because of how

virtual reality can distract and disconnect people from the relevant aspects of life. For instance, in the novel, Mildred uses technology obsessively, spending much of her time watching television on large wall-sized screens. She becomes so obsessed to the point where she refers to the television characters as her family, and when Guy Montag, her husband, tries to communicate with her, she is often distracted by the screens and

“[leans] toward the great shimmering walls of color and motion where the family talked and talked and talked to her, where the family prattled and chatted and said her name and smiled at her’’ (Bradbury 74). Mildred’s obsession prevents her from engaging with the people who matter the most to her, which highlights how technology in Mildred’s life serves as a way for her to self-isolate and become disconnected from the real world. Bradbury explains that excessive use of technology is unhealthy to individuals’ mental health because it acts as a way to avoid engaging with real-life situations and emotions. Similarly in a CNN article about Instagram, Laci Green, a youtube blogger, remarks “Because platforms like Instagram or Facebook present highly curated versions of the people we know and the world around us. It is easy for our perception of reality to become distorted.” Laci Green explains that social media and technology in general can easily manipulate our perceptions of reality. For instance, Green mentions that the social media platforms present false versions of the people we know and the world around us. Technology creates unhealthy mindsets because influencers portray a deceptive view of themselves by altering their looks and personalities, which as a result, changes our perception of what is real and causes us to disconnect from the real world. Through the example of Mildred’s use of various technologies such as the “parlor walls” and the article’s explanation of the power of technology, Bradbury warns readers of the dangers of allowing technology to become too powerful and influential in our lives, demonstrating why it is important to have purpose and meaning in life. Overall, this demonstrates how technology is unhealthy for our mental health because of how it causes society to become distracted and disconnected by virtual reality, which is why it is significant that we remember to live meaningful lives.